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The agriculture minister added that the wild ducks had been used as “callers for waterfowl hunting”, and had not been destined for human consumption.

Mr Le Foll said that local authorities had increased surveillance in the area, before adding that the infected wild ducks had been culled, along with another group of ducks that the animals had been in contact with located in the affected area.

The agriculture minister added that the outbreak had “not affected domestic farms,” and that France should regain its international status of free of highly pathogenic avian flu by Saturday December 3, provided no new case was found in the coming days.

France, however, is still struggling to recover from a severe bird flu epidemic in southwestern France that occurred at the end of 2015.

The outbreak led to a total halting of duck and geese production in the region and to import restrictions for trading partners.

Foie gras producers, who already suffered a considerable revenue drop following last year’s outbreak, are particularly concerned, and fear that they may suffer yet more losses.

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Stephane Le Foll said that a severe strain of H5N8 bird flu had been detected

The news comes just weeks before the Christmas season, which coincides with the year-end peak demand for the delicacy, which is made from the fatty liver of either duck or goose.

Cases of the H5N6 avian influenza virus have been confirmed in several EU countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany, and Mr Foll had warned farmers that France could be next earlier this month.

The agriculture minister imposed precautionary measures at farms and restricted hunting and bird gathering: he asked all poultry farmers located in humid regions – where the risk of transmission is considered high – to keep poultry flocks indoors or to apply safety nets to prevent contact with wild birds.

Top 10 most common winter illnesses

Mon, March 20, 2017

The top 10 most common winter illnesses

Also known as the winter vomiting bug - when people are ill with vomiting and diarrhoea, it's important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Young children and the elderly are especially at risk

The WHO says they have no recorded cases of the H5N8 strain of bird flu being passed to humans yet – but a very close strain called H5N6 has crossed into humans.

The better-known killer strain of bird-flu is called H5N1. This strain has killed 400 people across the globe – 60% of those contracting the bug.